Opening statement:"Obviously, not a good day for us. Had some chances. Couldn't get it done. They made some plays at the end that gave them a chance to win the game obviously. Like I said, we had our shot. One thing I will say about these guys, they aren't going to quit. They are going to keep playing, and we will keep working at it.
"Had some injuries, some tough ones. (DL) Emmanuel Ogbah has a broken foot. Obviously, he is going to miss some significant time. (DL) Jamie Meder has an ankle. We will know more about that tomorrow. He will get an MRI on that one. (WR) Sammie Coates has a knee. We will find out more about that tomorrow, as well. Those were the injured guys
"One thing like I told our guys a second ago, the only people that can fix this is us in the room. We have to continue to play better. Can't turn the ball over. When we get opportunities, we have to nail them. We have to make plays, have to make catches, have to make blocks and all of those good things. I give credit to Jacksonville. They came in here, they played a little bit better than we did and they won the game so that is where we are."
On RB Isaiah Crowell's limited carries, particularly late in the game:"We weren't running the ball very well neither. We needed to do what we needed to do to try to win the game. I don't disagree with that. I think those guys would be the first to tell you we weren't doing that very well either. It wasn't like we weren't trying. We kept attempting to. It just wasn't happening there or in the passing game. It was what it was."
On how big of a setback QB DeShone Kizer's turnovers were:"Obviously, we didn't want those things to happen, but I will watch the tape. DeShone is going to start at quarterback next week. There is no question about that. We just have to continue to get better and continue to work at it. Just have to make those plays when they are there. He knows that. Have to take care of the ball better. Just have to keep working at it."
On the Browns' pass protection against the Jaguars' pass rush:"Wasn't as good as I thought it could be. They are good. They are as good as advertised. They have some good rushers. I don't care if it was quick game, intermediate game or deep game, they can get after you up front so we have to continue to get better. I think there are some things we can do better to help, and we just have to continue to keep working at this thing. It is not easy. I think we all get that, but we have to find a way."
On if RB Duke Johnson Jr. was limited early in the game:"No, I don't think he was limited. He played. He was in there going. We just didn't have a lot of opportunities in the first couple of quarters to be honest with you."
On if Johnson was hurt trying to recover the fumble in the end zone at the end of the game:"Yeah, just the same shoulder that he has had. Nothing – I think Duke will be fine."
On if his message of improvement is falling on deaf ears and if he is out of answers:"No, I'm not out of answers because it is about getting better. We are coaching a young football team. This is not a veteran-laden football team. This is a young team so you are going to have those ups and downs. You are going to have those where it looks pretty good and then it falls back. It looks pretty good… It is who you are playing against. You are playing against a very talented team. Those warts are going to show every now and then. No, I'm not. I don't feel the way you do. I get it. I don't think it is on deaf ears. I know to our players it is not. I know to the people in the locker room it is not because they see it. We have to find a way to do it better. The players have to do it better, we have to coach it better and all of that. We are all in this together. It is not them, me – it is everybody. We just have to do it better, but it is my responsibility."
On if Kizer's second interception was intended for WR Rashard Higgins or WR Corey Coleman:"I think he was trying to throw it to Rashard. I think the ball just kind of took off on him."
On how the weather affected the way he called the game:"Early, it was a huge factor. Tried to be smart doing things. The wind was blowing pretty good, and then all of a sudden, everything was pretty calm. Then we had the snow come in and then it disappears. We tried to play the elements, as well, but at the same time, I don't think it affected anything out there. I just think we have to play better."
On if he blames the sack-fumbles on pass protection, the QB or as a collective group:"I think it is a collective deal. I want to see the tape because I want to make sure we are not too deep. There are all kinds of things you have to look at there. It is a unit issue. Turnovers have been our Achilles' heel all year. In these kinds of games, you have to find a way to not turn it over. That is what gives you a chance to win."
On what Kizer saw on his first interception:"I just think the linebacker didn't buy [the play-action]. I don't think he saw the guy who didn't take the fake, went the other way and he let one go. I'm sure he wishes he had it back. Didn't see it – very obvious he didn't."
On starting Kizer next week:"Where we are right now, I need to continue to see him. Let's let him play. Let's let him play this thing out. As long as he is healthy, let's keep putting him out there. I want to walk away from this season knowing exactly what DeShone Kizer is top to bottom. I think he deserves that. I know this is all tough for him. Week in and week out, it is the consistency he has to keep chasing. He just has to keep working at it."
On if it's possible to evaluate Kizer if Kizer doesn't have the supporting cast around him that he might need to success:"Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we will continue to get better in some of these areas. There is a chance for (WR) Josh (Gordon) to be back. I think there is going to be hopefully an uptick there. I think (WR) Corey (Coleman) showed that he came back and did some good things today. I think we have to keep growing as an offensive football team."
On if it is the collective attitude of the Browns organization that it is not a veteran-laden team and is a young team and maintaining a focus on improvement:"No, I am not speaking for everybody. I am more speaking for myself, the coaching staff and our players. The question I was asked earlier if these things fall on death ears. When you keep saying, 'Hue we have to get better,' I just think that is what young players do. I think they play a little inconsistent. They play good, and then all of the sudden there is a fall off every now and then. We have all seen it. We are playing a lot of young guys. They have to make these plays in these tough games. It is not easy. I am not trying to take up for them. This is the sport they picked; this is pro football, but they have to be at their best all of the time. Sometimes that is a lot to ask of a young player."
On if he stills sees signs that Kizer can be the franchise QB:"Oh, no question. After the first interception, it takes heart to keep coming in. He threw a huge touchdown to (RB) Duke (Johnson Jr.) a drive after that. That is what it is. That is the way this game is. I think he will only get better if he will keep taking that mindset and playing. The guy did not blink, and he was getting knocked around pretty good at the end. That is something to build on for him."
On the Browns defense 'hanging in there':"That is what they do. Our defense is tough. They play, but this is a team sport. That is what I expect from our defense. I expect more from our offense. I expect more from our special teams. That is what it is. That is pro football. That is the way it works. Sometimes this unit is not playing well, and this unit has to continue to keep playing good. That is just the way it works."
On the frustration of having great field position and not scoring early in the game:"Great field position. I was at the game, too. Yeah, it was very frustrating because I think we had some plays that were there and we did not make them. I thought we dropped some balls in some key situations where it could have kept some drives going. That is frustrating. We were not able to make it happen. The first third down, I could see DeShone is about to take off and the guy grabs him by his jersey and he is going to run for 20 yards. That is going to lead to a score in my opinion, but it does not. They make the play. We do not. That's football."
On if WR Corey Coleman showed a glimpse of how the Browns offense could be and what he can contribute:"Oh, absolutely. Yeah because he walked back in there and made some plays. Sometimes because of strategy, we have to do certain things right handed to protect a little bit better from their rushers. Early first half, we really could not get the ball. In the first quarter, we could not get the ball to him based on some things we were doing and then we were. I just said forget it; let's flip it. We did it. It ignited us and started making some plays. We just have to continue to do that through the rest of the season."
On Kizer's thought process on the first interception and why he didn't see the LB:"Why did he not see the linebacker? I think he saw, normally, I thought the linebacker that was first going past Corey, which that guy did. You have to make sure you have wide vision and see the next linebacker. That linebacker normally you would think would buy the fake and go strong. He went weak, and he needs to see that guy. He knows that. It is something he has to work through"
On if the losses are still devastating or if he is OK with them because he is coaching a young team:"I am never going to take losing OK. I am trying to win. This locker room is trying to win. These players are trying to win. I think this sport is too tough, too violent, and we ask a lot of these guys to walk in there and say, 'We are just coaching up a football team.' I don't look at it that way. We are honestly trying to win. There is nobody that walks in there… If you watch our football team, they are fighting their tails off. They are trying to win. I have said before and I am not going to back off this statement, we have to play almost a perfect game to have an opportunity in order to do that. That means no turnovers. Fundamentally, we have to do everything right to have a chance. This team is in games. This team is hanging around games. The defense is playing good. The offense will make a play here and there. We just do not make enough NFL plays to win the game. That is what we have to do, and we have to do it better."
